Puncture-proof tire.



W. W. LOWER.

PUNCTURE PROOFl TIRE. l APPLIUATIVON FILED JUNE 24, 1911.

1,010,061., Patented $011.28, 1911.

' v enema.

retirerons-radon man.

v Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nav. 2S, 191A..

Application tiled June 24, 1911. Serial No. 635,178.

To all fwhom tt may concern: l

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. LOWER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Tyrone, in the count of Blair and reliable and durable.

A tire made in accordance with this invention is intended to have all of the advantages of an ordinary pneumatic tire, but

without the attendant dangers of punctures, blow-outs, and the like, all of which is hereinafter described and claimed and illus trated in the laccompanying drawings, in which- .Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section or portion of a tire; Fig. 2is a vertical transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a like view showing the parts in process of assemblage, the wedges not being in place.

Throughout the following description and on the several figures of the drawings similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

At A is indicated any conventional form of Wheel felly, having a metallic rim B whose lateral edges are formed into flanges b in the usual manner.

rIhe improyed tire comprises a casing made of any suitable tough or fibrous material and having clenchers c adapted tov engage underv the aforesaid rim flanges. Within the casing are arranged a circumferential series of pairs of metallic U-shaped plates 10l and 11, each pair extending from the outer portion of the casing inwardly toward or against the rim, and the plate 10 being movable toward or away from the other plate.l Any suitable form or construction of cushioning means may be interposed between said plates for the purpose of resisting'said inward movement of the outer plates and to maintain thereb the tire or casingin distended position. aid cushioning means are illustrated as being in the form of a coil spring 12 between each pair of plates 10` and 11, of suiici'ent strength to maintain the proper form of the tire under ordinary conditions of service. The spring 1s preferably permanently-attached at its outer end to the plate l0, as by means of clips or earsr13 struck from said late and made to 'embrace the outer coil of t e spring. The plate 11 is formed with a V-shaped portion lfl, which extends outward toward the opposlng section 10 and forms a positive means for retaining the inner end of the spring, embraced thereby, from displacement. y 'i The plate is made of spring material, the normal form of which is indicated in Fig. 3, whereby the casing with the series of cushioning devices therein may be placed upon the rim, after which the casing flanges c may be made to forcibly engage under the rim flanges. process I show a series of conical pointed screws 15, as many as may be required for the purpose, tapped through the aforesaid rim and felly, the point of each screw being caused thereby to enter the V of the ad- ]acent plate 11 causing it to spread, as indicated in Fig. 2, and forcing the casing Hanges snugly into clenched position. If the number of screws employed be less than the number of plates 1l certain of the plates 11 may be provided with lugs or lips 16 which, engaging over the edges of the adjacent plates, will cause the latter to spread simultaneously with the spreading of the plates directly engaged by the screws. In order to prevent the sections 10 from creeping o'ne over another or otherwise becoming displaced there. may be provided on the adjacent edges thereof sets of lugs 17 adapted to abut against each other and yet permit the desired freedom of independent radial movement of the plates 10.

' The various parts of the device may be made of any suitable materials and the prof portionate sizes and dimensions may be varied as may be considered best, without departing from the spirit of the invention hereinafter claimed.

-In order to assist in keeping the sections 10 and 11 in proper relative position it may be desirable to employ rivets or studs 18 in one section operating in slots 19 in the other section. I also show a series of plates or wedges 20 which may be fitted under the sections 11, as one means which may be' may be required may be slipped or driven beneath the springs 11, certain 0f the Wedges being notched so as to stra-ddle the screws 15. Having thus describedv a preferred embodiment of the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of they United States' is:

-1. The combination with a wheel felly and rim having clencher flanges, of a tire comprising a resilient casing adapted to interlock beneath said rimiianges, a circumferential series of pairs of plates Within the casing, the plates of each pair being radially disposed, cushionin means interposed between the plates oi each pair, tending to maintain the casing in distended position, and means operable through the rim t0 cause the inner plates to spread laterally to interllock the casing with the rim anges.

2. In a cushioning devicefor a vehicle tire, ythe combination of a pair 0f coperating curved plates, a spring interposed between the plates and tending to force them apart, the inner plate having a V-shaped portion extending 'outwardly' toward the other plate and serving to prevent the d1splacement of the spring, and means serving to spread the inner plate at the V and to secure said cushioning meansv in position.

3. The combination with a Wheel rim, of

a casing, a pair of plates- Within the casing,

throughsaid rim serving to secure said oasing and plates in position.-

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribing witnesses.

WHJLIAM W.; LOWER.

Witnesses Emma CRAWFORD,

W. H. FLENNER.

signature in the presence of tvvo 40 l 

